![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Homecoming Week: Behind the scenes of the Rally
Madhavan Nair (12) plays the Joker in the Harry Potter segment of the senior class skit.
Writing scripts, choreographing routines, and assembling equipment. Students and faculty members participated in the annual Homecoming Rally yesterday, but few people know the amount of work that occurred behind the scenes.
Spirit Club members prepared for the rally for weeks in advance, from organizing skit rules to setting up the homecoming court obstacle course.
“We conducted many meetings, some with the student council to receive their input,” Spirit Club Secretary Leon Chin (12) said. “One of our main jobs was the obstacle course, and I think we planned that very efficiently and effectively, so I hope everyone had a good time.”
According to Brian Larsen, Technical Director of the Upper School, the setup for the production of the rally went smoothly, but his only complaint was that none of the classes met the deadline to get their sound files to him.
“If I have it early enough or have it by the deadline, I can play with it and adjust the levels,” he said.
As a result, the audio portion of the senior skit, in particular, ranged from being quiet during some moments and extremely loud during others.
Larsen was also in charge of the music for the cheerleaders and Varsity Dance Troupe. The Varsity Dance Troupe had been preparing for its routine since August.
“We learned this routine at USA camp over the summer, and we changed it to make it our own and fit this performance,” Varsity dancer Tamlyn Doll (10) said.
Upper School Dance Director Karl Kuehn expressed his excitement and looks forward to the girls’ performance tonight before the Homecoming Game.
“They are ready to rock, and I know that I am super pumped for [today],” he said.
A major portion of the Rally revolves around the four skits that each grade enacts, based on their respective themes. The freshmen met a couple times as a group during extra help to practice for their Mickey Mouse-themed skit.
“Overall, the freshmen didn’t put that much time into the skit just because we didn’t think of it as a really high priority and that kind of showed in our actual performance,” said Rajiv Movva, who played the character of Goofy in the freshmen skit.
As the seniors prepared for their final Homecoming, they worked towards making this year’s skit the best yet.
“There was a lot of group bonding this year. The officers make it a fun experience so we [were] actually motivated to work,” Ashir Bansal (12) said. “[Although] we didn’t practice as much this year, we certainly practiced with a lot of enthusiasm.”
As for the tug-of-war that occurred between the skits, junior Natasha Mayor said that her class did not prepare and chose to trust themselves to pull through.
“During freshman year, we had practiced tug-of-war before but that didn’t really help up so this year, we just decided to go for it and see if we could win,” she said.
The sophomore Homecoming Court princess Lindsey Trinh looks forward to the game and has done all that she can to prepare for tonight, including purchasing and hemming a dress for tonight’s crowning of the court.
Varsity Football player Nate Kelly (9) explains that the team has been practicing every day for at least two hours in preparation for the Homecoming game. The game is tonight at 7 p.m. on Davis Field against Ribet Academy and includes a tailgate at 5 p.m. prior to the game.
“I feel like we’re gonna get a win,” Nate said. “I feel it.”
Anokhi Saklecha (12) is the Global Editor for the Winged Post. She has been in the journalism program for the past three years. She loves the creativity,...
Shannon Su is the Managing Editor and Executive News Director of Harker Aquila. She joined the program as a reporter her freshman year and has held many...
Meilan Steimle (12) is co-Editor-in-Chief of the Winged Post. She was a reporter her freshman year, Winged Post Opinion Editor her sophomore year and Winged...